Article
Blues Chord Progressions: 12-Bar Blues and Beyond
Master the 12-bar blues and its variations on guitar. Includes dominant 7th voicings, turnarounds, shuffle rhythms, and tips for authentic blues feel.
B dominant 7th guitar shapes
Popular fretboard positions with fingering suggestions
Showing 8 of 90 playable shapes
About the chord
B dominant 7th guitar chord
The B dominant 7th dominant 7th chord, formed by adding a minor seventh A to the major triad, creates tension that seeks resolution, typically to the tonic. The combination of the major third D♯ and minor seventh A provides a bluesy, soulful feel, making it essential in jazz, blues, and classical cadences.
Root note: B
Quality: dominant 7th
Chord tones: 4
Playable shapes: 90
Chord tones
BD♯F♯A
Notes & Intervals
Each note below shows how the chord is built from its root. This is the theory layer underneath the fretboard shapes.
B Unison (Root) 1
The root anchors the chord and defines its tonal center.
D♯ Major Third 3
This note defines the chord's major quality and brings brightness to the sound.
F♯ Perfect Fifth 5
The fifth reinforces stability and gives the chord its strong harmonic frame.
A Minor Seventh ♭7
The minor seventh adds bluesy or jazzy tension that wants to move onward.
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